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Chen Reiss, Israeli-born and educated lyric soprano, made a stunning and almost "electric" impression in her debut performance with the Philadelphia Opera Company in Verdi's masterpiece, "Rigoletto." Playing the role of Gilda, daughter to the hunchback court jester Rigoletto, Reiss brought her cool and clear soprano to the stage of the Academy of Music for several performances, possibly the best...

For almost his entire career, tenor Alberto Mizrahi has been referred to as "The Jewish Pavarotti" because of the similarity of his vocal production to that of the recently deceased tenor. Other commonalities include his abundant charm and robust physique. The acclaimed cantor, who more than 25 years ago was a finalist in the Luciano Pavarotti Opera Competition at the...

All odds are against the survival of a poem. The chance of being completed, the chance of being saved, the chance of being shared, the chance of being appreciated -- none of these are to be taken lightly. And yet, for some tortured souls, poetry is the one thing that sustains and affirms their existence. Consider Paul Celan. Though it's...

In a recent edition of The New York Times, British author and journalist Adam LeBor, based in Prague, published an opinion piece titled "New Lyrics for Israel," advocating the elimination of the phrase "Nefesh Yehudi"/Jewish soul," from the Israeli national anthem, "Hatikvah." In its place, LeBor argues, should be the phrase "nefesh Israeli," or "Israeli soul." How can modern Israel,...

Every summer, our thoughts turn to weddings. One of my co-workers is gleefully counting down the days until he's a married man, so I've got about two more weeks of hearing about cake tastings, flower arrangements and honeymoon plans. In honor of this summer's brides and grooms, I've categorized July's shows according to the wedding tradition. · Something old. John...